Trending News Today: Aetna, UnitedHealthcare Look to Pass Drug Rebates to Consumers

Officials with the FDA have launched a criminal investigation into research by a Southern Illinois University professor who injected people with an unauthorized herpes vaccine, Kaiser Health News reported. According to the article, William Halford, who died in June, injected participants with his experimental herpes vaccines without safety oversight that is routinely performed by the FDA or an institutional review board.

Aetna and UnitedHealthcare will begin passing along rebates they get from drugmakers to some customers starting next year, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the insurers say they want to make prescription drug pricing more transparent and simplify the process for customers. Those who will benefit most are those who take prescription drugs regularly and pay high out-of-pocket costs, or before insurance coverage starts, according to the Associated Press.

More Americans see opioid addiction as a significant issue in their communities than they did 2 years ago, The Hill reported. According to a new poll, 43% of Americans say the use of prescription pain drugs is an extremely or very serious problem in their communities, up from 33% 2 years, the article said. However, the poll shows many Americans still see drug addiction as a behavioral failing rather than as a disease, indicating that opioid addiction continues to carry a strong social stigma, according The Hill.